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Ljubljana: An Art Nouveau Treasure
by Branka Lapajne
Excerpted from Rodna Gruda, English Section December 1995
Absorbed in the cares of everyday life, pedestrians rush through
the urban landscape totally oblivious to the architectural -
beauty around them. The discerning observer, however, never
fails to discover the hidden and even obvious architectural
details of his urban environment. And yet, the same people who
walk obliviously past the beauties of their own city, will look
wide-eyed in wonder at the treasures of foreign cities like
Paris, London or Vienna. Such is the case with Ljubljana.
Though small in size, Ljubljana has an incredible wealth of
architectural beauty from various historic periods, most notably
the Art Nouveau or Secessionist period. Despite the clearly
visible details of Art Nouveau architecture in the inner core
of the city, life-long residents express surprise when these
details are revealed to them. Such was the case in the mid-1980s,
when I first began to record photographically these delightful
features of the urban vista. After observing my activity for
awhile, a Ljubljana resident of four decades approached and
inquired as to what I was doing. When I pointed out the architectural
details which were clearly visible, she responded that she had
never observed them before.
Two major events, exactly fifty years apart, contributed greatly
to the physical appearance of Ljubljana. The first was the great
earthquake of 1895, whose centennial was observed earlier this
year. The second was the end of World War II and the beginning
of communist rule in Slovenia and Yugoslavia.
The earthquake, which struck Ljubljana in the early hours of
April 1895, caused a great building boom which, in large part,
has given the city the appearance it has today. Damaged by the
quake, many buildings were demolished and replaced with structures
- richly decorated in the Art Nouveau style of the period. Examples
of this architectural style are particularly abundant around
Tromostovje and the roads leading from it, around Miklosicev
park and along' Presemova ulica.
After World War Two, influenced by the politics of the day,
Ljubljana was gradually pushed into the background, becoming
almost a back-water. Very little was done to revitalize the
city and by the mid-1980s this neglect began to take its toll.
By 1985-86, the city began to assume an air of neglect. Facades
of Art Nouveau period buildings began to crumble, their architectural
details in imminent danger of disappearance. Fearing that if
something was not done soon, this beauty would be lost forever,
I began to photograph these architectural details, both to record
their still visible beauty and to document this sad development.
Once again politics was to play an important role in influencing
developments in Ljubljana. This time a change in the political
climate, which began around 1989-91, led to a dramatic change
in the city's inner core. Gradually the Art Nouveau treasures
of a by-gone era began to be restored, a process which continues
today. While the neglect of the 1970s and 1980s was a source
of debate during this period, it may actually have contributed
to preserving Ljubljana's appearance. The lack of money clearly
prevented the destruction of these Art Nouveau buildings and
their replacement with the concrete and glass structures visible
in parts of the city. These modem structures already show the
ravages of time, only decades after their construction.
A negative feature of the Slovenian psyche is an inferiority
complex in relation to other nations and ethnic groups. This
feeling is unnecessary. Very few other cities, with the exception
- of Paris and Vienna, have more examples of Art Nouveau architecture
than Ljubljana and Maribor. The purpose of my photographs is
to make Slovenians aware of the hidden and notso-hidden architectural
richness and splendor of their capital city - Ljubljana. Hopefully,
in future, they will walk past these treasures with a more discerning
and observant eye.
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